Wrench.



W. S. UPSON.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED mmz. I916.

1 ,206,94:7. Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

luuamto'c :sr QFFICE.

WILBUR S. UPSON, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

Application filed March 2, 1916. Serial No. 81,723.

To all whom it may concern 1 Be it known that I, \VILBUR S. Urson, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Mansfield, in the county of Richland and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wrenches of the type comprising a stationary jaw and a cos operating, sliding, adjustable jaw, adapted for use in fastening and loosening different sizes of nuts, bolts and the like.

The primary object of this invention is to provide means of rapidly, conveniently .and slidably adjusting the movable jaw of the wrench to fit various sizes of nuts and bolts and means automatically operable when the shank of the stationary jaw and the pivoted lever handle are grasped by the user of the wrench in manipulating it to perform its functions to rigidly maintain the movable jaw in its adjusted position in juxtaposition to the nut or bolt during the operation of fastening or loosening the bolts or nuts.

Another feature of this-invention consists in the means employed of pivotally attaching a. lever handle to the body portion of the stationary jaw and utilizing it to perform the combined functions of a handle and to provide means of co-acting with other means to clamp the movable jaw in a predetermined or adjusted position.

A further object is to provide a positive stop for the inward throw of the lever handle. 2

The preferable specific construction used to accomplish the above described objects comprise means of pivotally attaching a lever handle to the body portion of the stationary jaw, and interposing a pivoted ratchet pawl between the end of the lever handle and the face of the shoe of a movable j aw which is provided with a series of ratchet teeth that correspond with the ratchet teeth of the pivoted pawl, the end of the lever handle being so located and arranged as to force the teeth of the pawl and shoe to mesh at any adjusted position of themovable jaw. when it is grasped for manipulation by the user in connection with the shank of the stationary jaw.

These and other objects are attained by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical side elevation partly in section of the wrench showing the teeth of the pivoted ratchet pawl in mesh with the ratchet teeth provided on the shoe of the movable jaw. Fig. 2 is an edge view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical side elevation of the wrench showing a part of the body portion of the stationary jaw broken away to clearly show the inoperative position of the lever handle permitting the teeth of the pivotal ratchet pawl to drop or be yieldingly drawn out of mesh with the teeth of the shoe of the movable jaw.

In the drawings reference numeral 1 represents a stationary jaw, 2 the body portion of the jaw and 3 a shank preferably formed integral with the body portion. A movable jaw 4 is provided having an integral shoe 5 which slidably fits a guideway 6 formed in the body portion of the stationary jaw. The guideway is preferably formed at an angle to the body portion of the stationary jaw and shank.

One end of a lever handle 8 is secured to a pin 9 to pivot within a recess 10. The end 11 of the lever handle is preferably tapered. A pawl 12 having a series of ratchet teeth is pivoted with the recess 10 upon a pin 14 and so arranged and located as to be interposed between the end 11 of the lever handle 8 and the shoe of the movable jaw.

The spring 15 normally exerts its tension to maintain the rib or projecting portion 16 in contact with the end 11 of the lever handle. A series of ratchet teeth 17 is provided on the shoe in alined position with the ratchet teeth of the pawl 12. A stop member 18 is secured to the shank 3 and is provided with a notch 19 to yieldingly engage the pin 20 which is secured to the lever handle 18 as shown in Fig. 1.

To prevent excessive outward movement of the movable jaw 4-, a screw 21 is arranged to present the head thereof in contact with the end of the movable jaw.

The operation or manipulation of the above described wrench for the purpose intended is as follows: The user adjusts the movable jaw 4 to fit the nut of bolt it is desired to fasten or loosen and then grasps the lever handle 8 and shank 3 pressing them toward each other, the swing or pivotal movement of the lever handle caused there by forces the end 11 to contact with, and to exert .a pressure against the rib 16 forcing the pawl 12 to pivot upon the pin 14: and the teeth 13 formed thereon to mesh with the teeth 17 formed on the sliding shoe, thereby rigidly maintaining the movable jaw in its adjusted position. The end 11 of the lever handle is so proportioned and located with respect to the rib 16 that when the end is at or a trifle over the center of the horizontal axis of the rib, the notch 19 will engage the pin 20 and positively step further movement of the lever handle 8 and shank 3 toward each other, as shown in Fig. 1. The rib and end 11 of the lever handle also assist in yieldingly locking the lever handle and shank together. When it is de sired to release the movable jaw from its adjusted position, the lever handle is swung outward as shown in Fig. 3 releasing the end 11 of the lever handle from its contact with the rib, and the pawl is forced to pivot by the spring 15 and withdraw the teeth 18 from their mesh with the teeth 17 formed on the shoe.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In a wrench, a stationary jaw having a body portion provided with a recess and a shank, a guideway formed in the body portion, a movable aw carrying a shoe having ratchet teeth provided thereon slidably fitted in the guideway, a lever handle having one end pivoted to swing within the recess, a pivoted ratchet pawl interposed between the pivoted end of the lever handle and the shoe of the movable jaw which is adapted to contact with the end of the lever handle and be forced thereby, to mesh with the teeth provided on the shoe of the movable jaw to rigidly maintain same in its adjusted position when the handle and shank are grasped by the user and pressed toward each other.

2. In a wrench, a stationary jaw having a body portion provided with a recessand a shank, a guideway formed in the body portion, a movable jaw carrying a shoe having ratchet teeth provided thereon, slidably fitted in the guideway, a lever handle having one end pivoted to swing within the recess, a pivoted ratchet pawl interposed between the pivoted end of the'lever handle and the shoe of the movable jaw which is adapted to contact with the end of the lever handle and be forced thereby, to mesh with the teeth provided on the shoe of the movable jaw thereby rigidly maintaining same in any adjusted position when the handle and shank are grasped by the user and pressed toward each other, and pins arranged to engage at right angles to each other to stop the inward swing of the lever handle at a pre-determined point with re spect to the shank.

V 3. In a wrench, a stationary jaw having an integral recessed body portion and a shank, a lever pivoted in said recess, an angularly related guideway formed in the body portion, communicating with said recess, a movable jaw having a shoe slidably fitted in said guideway, and pivotally mounted means interposed between the end of the lever handle and shoe which contacts with and is operable by the 'end of the lever handleonly, to hold and maintain the movable jaw at any point of its adjustment.

' a. In a wrench, a stationary jaw and a shank, a cooperative movable jaw, a pivoted lever handle, pivotally mounted means interposed between the movable jawfand the end of the lever handle adapted to contact with the movable jaw and the end of the lever handle, and which is operable by pressing the shank and lever handle toward each other to maintain the movable jaw at any point of its adjustment.

5. In a wrench, a stationary jaw and a shank, a cooperative movable jaw provided with a shoe, a pivoted lever handle, pivotally mounted means interposed between the shoe or the movable aw and the end of the lever handle which contacts with the lever handle and is operable by pressing the shank and lever handle toward each other to maintain the movable jaw through the medium of the pivoted means only at any point of its adjustment, and right angularly related pins to yieldingly interlock the shank and lever handle at a pre-determined point of their movement toward each other.

6. In a wrench, a stationary jaw and a shank, a cooperative movable jaw provided with a shoe, a pivoted lever handle, pivot ally mounted means interposed between the shoe of the movable jaw and the end of the lever handle to contact with the lever handle and which is operable by pressing the shank and lever handle toward each other tomaintain the movable jaw at any point of its adjustment, pins secured to the shank and lever handle to yieldingly interlock the shank and lever handle at a pre-determined point of their movement toward-each other, and means arranged on the body portion of the wrench to prevent excessive outward movement of the movable jaw.

7. In a wrench, a stationary jaw provided with a recess and a shank, a guideway p'rovided in the stationary jaw, a movable jaw having a shoe provided'with ratchet teeth slidablyrfitted in said guideway, a ratchet pawl'pivoted in said recess, a lever handle pivoted to permit its end to swing within said recess; said lever handle contacting with and exerting a pressure upon the pawl to force the teeth of the pawl and teeth of the shoe to mesh at any point of the adjustment of the movable jaw.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILBUR U'PsoN';

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of?atents,

' 7 Washington, D. G. 

